Her Day of Adversity

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2310, 1 December 1925, Page 10

Her Day of Adversity

By JVIRS. HATRICK MacGltiL

“If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small.” —Proverbs

FOR NEW READERS, AJ. the characters in this story arc purely fictitious. CAROL. OLIVER got into the toils of JACOB STONE, a moneylender, by borrowing £lO from him to pay the funeral expenses of her mother, who died suddenly leaving her alone and penniless. The man had, by carefully-laid plans and outward display of kindliness and generosity got her into his house nominally as a social secretary, but really as a gambling decoy. (Overpowered by her beauty and freshness, he fell in love with her, and did all in his power to keep DAVID MURRAY, a young man who 'Knew all about his villainous dealings, from discovering Carol. David and Carol were in love with each other, but had lost sight of one another, because Lot. tie, the little maidservant, had lost David’s card with his address. Carol, frightened and disgusted bj the happenings in STONE’S house, tried to get away, but he told her he intended to marry her. David ran ocross Lottie serving in a pub-lic-house. while in Bermondsey searching for Carol and took her into his confidence. He also introduced her to a big music.hall man, Gus Halkin,, who, was struck by her lightning impersonations. He fixed up an engagement for her to appear at Stone’s house. The moneylender instructed Carol to please Harvey Lester, as he was a rich young lumberman, who would be easily fleeced. At the close of the hateful evening of gambling, dancing and vulgar entertainment, Lottie’s turn came on. Horrified to find Carol in such a position she simulated a faint, in order to get a few words alone with her.

CHAPTER VIII. (continued). Lottie Makes Plans. But, if Jacob Stone had known that , Lottie’s cleverly stage-managed faint was the first link in a long chain of circumstances that was to result in disaster to his vastly profitable night club, he would certainly have been less concerned about the rigid little figure lying prone upon the floor, with tightly closed eyes face as immovable as marble. “Poor kid, I reckon the strain’s been too much for her. Where shall I take her, Stone?” asked Harvey Lester, picking up the small figure as if it had been a baby, and holding It tenderly in his arms ,to the great inward satisfaction of wicked young Lottie “There’s a room at the end there — the ladies’ dressing room. 'You’d better go along and see to her,” Carol’s employer whispered in her ear. “And when she’s all right, put her into a taxi. We can’t afford scenes of that sort here,” he finlsiietl irritably, “I’ll look after her,” Carol saia, readily, and her heart exulted that he had played so splendidly, of his own accord into their hands. Harvey Lester carried Lottie Into the room at the end of the dance hall, and, acting on Carol’s instructions, departed to fetch smelling salts. Directly they were alone Lottie sat up, and suspicion struggled with sympathy in her face, voice, and manner as she askd abruptly, “What are you doing here?” Lottie’s manner brought a flush to Carol’s pale faice; but her eyes met the shrewd gaze of the ex-servant with truth as plainly written in their soft depths as It is in the sweet eyes of a child. She clasped her hands together in an agony of feeling as she said, bitterly, “I’m not here of my oivn accord, I assure you, Lottie. Oh. I’m the unhappiest creature In the whole wide world, I think.” “What make s you stop, then? You ain’t married to the bloater that keeps this joint are you? Stone, ’e calls ’isself, don’t ’e?” asked Lottie, with an unbelieving sniff and a straight, uncompromising stare.

“No, I’m not, Lottie . But it’s a long story, and we might be Interrupted at any moment. I owe Mr. Stone a great deal of money, and I’ve no means of paying him except t>y my work. And' I’m followed everywhere I go, Lottie. Oh, I'd give the world jto get right away from the man —• he’s like an octopus drawing in his tentacles closer and closer, until, In the end, I know he’ll crush me—l can feel it here!” And Carol placed a pitiful little hand over her heart, and her eyes were wild with the strain under which, if not soon re. lieved she would surely break down “Look ’ere, Miss, there’s a short way out of all yer troubles,, if you like to take it.”

The two girls were practically of an age, but Lottie, reared in a harder, loss sheltered school, felt almost maternal towards the soft.eyed little creature with the bright hair and the manner of a wistful child. “That nice young chap, Mr. Murray, is dead nuts on yer, and I wouldn’t give much for Mr. Stone uf any other mister’s chance at ’is ’ands if ’e started on ’em,” and Lottie chuckled as if, in anticipation she already saw David Murray at work. Carol’s pale face was one huge burning blush, and, although nothing material had happened to lighten her circumstances, by some miraculous means, all her fear of Jacob Stone all her misery at being forced to remain in her surroundings of the foct that David Murray cared. For a moment her immediate surroundings—the many hued velvets and silken brocades of the womei

who were dancing away the small hours in the next room —ror *. moment these faded, and she was in Jacob . Stone’s office in Finsburypavement ,and the door had opened to admit Ddvid Murray and the poor old woman whose cause he had so splendidly championed. The flasn of his blue eyes, the tone of hi s voice, the sunlight falling on his thick brown hair, all thse came floating back to her memory, bringing with them a sense of power, a fooling ol strength, although David was not present in the flesh. She was a different being; the warm, vital, infinitely splendid Love Flame was shining in her eyes, and sounding in her voice as she spoke to the thrice-blessed little messenger of the tidings of her joy. “Are you sure, Lottie? Did he—say so, himself?" “That ’e did, Miss. ’E split on the Embankment,” Lottie declared, and Carol was too wildly happy to smile at the strange phraseology. It was Lottie who brought Carol down from her dreamy heights of exaltation by a practical suggestion of how she meant to handle her pre. sent situation. “It's careful that does it, Miss,” she said earnestly. This rotter Stone is a friend of the man who’s giving me my start—Gus Halkin —and U was Mr. Murray who introduced ua, so it won’t take long for Stone to pul tw and two together if Mr. Murray ernes and kicks up a row. What about going for a walk to-morrow and meeting him by accident, like? You could fix things then between yor?”

“Anything you like to arrange, Lottie, I'll agree to. You don’t konw you’ll never know what a little angel you’ve been to me,” and Carol put her arm around the too thin shoulders and kissed the soft lips, still smeared with make-up. Lottie loved Carol from that moment. “I’ll ring up Mr. Murray directly I get ’ome, and tell.’im you’ll be looking- in Swan and Edgar’s at three o’clock to-morrow afternoon. Will that suit yer?” she asked, and she swung herself off the couch just as Harvey Lester appeared in the door.way with a cup of tea. “I had to wait while the water was being boiled. I hope you are better kiddie?” he said, a smile lighting up his really nice, kindly face as he offered it to Lottie. Lottie, who was much more ac. customcd to waiting than being, waited upon, contented herself with a curiously shy “Thank you,” as she took the cup and gratefully sipped the tea. “I told Bundy to get a taxi. It should bo here any minute, if It hasn’t already come,” said the Colonial„ who looked gigantic in the tiny dressing room. He was rewarded by a smile from Carol which went to hi s head more rapidly than Jacob Stone's choicest champagne. » _ “Thanks ever so much, Mr. Lester. I’ll see Miss Montague into it,” slu said, grasping gladly at the chance of a few extra words with Lottie. Then Harvey Lester made the decision which was ultimately to shatter Carol’s dream of happiness and escape from the life she loathed. “I’ll come along with you,” lie said lightly, opening the door for the two gir] s to pass out. NO STOP AT THE GATE. He seemed to be quite sober now. They passed Jacob Stone on their way out. He looked approvingly at Carol’s companion. “Feeling better?” he asked Lottie. “Yes, thank you, sir. I’m sorry I was such an idiot. I suppose it was the excitement, and the heat an’ all,” apologised Lottie. But the effect of the incident seemed to have passed off so far as Jacob Stone was concerned. He smiled down at the earnest-eyed little “lightning: impressionist/’ and murmered something pleasant about letting Mr. Halkin know what a success she had been. Carol surmised that something must surely have happened to please him that night. “To-morrow, then?” Lottie just managed to- whisper. Carol contented herself with a meaning look, and a slight inclination of her bright head, but the thought of meeting David Murray fanned into flame emotions and ecstacies that she had never known before. Hardly was she conscious of the eager young man waiting patiently at her side. The stars in the heavens seemed to shin e down into her very soul, the plane trees which lined the road rustled their leaves and whispered faint, sweet messages that thrilled and cheered her, and the wind which swept across from the ner-by park seemed to drive out from her mind all that was sordid and unworthy of remembrance.

Carol was in love —■wildly, youthfully, joyously in love—and the radiance of it shone from her still childishly pure young 1 face with a sweetness that made her an irresistibly charming figure as he stood there In the moonlight, gazing down the deserted road long after Lottie's taxi had disappeared around the comer. Harvey Lester’s voice was hoarse as he spoke. What he said at the moment was commonplace enough: ■what he intended to say before he leftt Jacob Stone’s house was also commonplace but the words are new every time that they pass lips which arc

earnest,’which hav e the truth imprinted upon them, and find an echo in a heart that is tuned to that emotion which rules the spheres. .Always it makes young lovers diffident. ’ Harvey Lester was as humble as a crossing-sweeper asking for a boon from a queen as he begged Carol to sit with him beside the little rockery at the end of Jacob Stone’s garden for a few minutes before he went. Caro fell in eagerly with the idea; it was quiet and cool by the rockery and her soul sickened within her at the thought of going back to her employer's crowd of gambling drinkiiushed guests—so called, for in one way and another they all paid very heavily for the privilege of gathering under his roof. “It will be just nice for a few minutes,.” said Carol softly, as she turned and preceded her escort into the garden. “You look like a little white moth in the ’darkness,” almost whispered Harvey I.ester when she was seated beside him on the'rustic sent. Carol did not reply, it was doubtful if she even heard what Harvey Lestersaid, the sweet white fire of her own newly-awakened love was glowing within her, and her ears were deaf, Or that sure guide of oven the most innocent woman intuition would have warned her of the rising tide of a man’s passion .indicated by his face, his voice his, whole personality. ’The rockery was a strange conceit of Jacob Stone’s; the pieces of “rock” were jagged lumps of delicately coloured marble, distributed with great artistry over the mound of earth, and between the marnlo spaces there gtew forget-mo-nots, lobelia, lavender — flowers of every shade of blue — and they were watered by a perpetually flowing fountain which threw its spray into the air and made a musical Utile sound as it splashed on the lumps of marble which it washed. It was the only thing- in Jacob Stone’s richly furnished house that Carol loved. “Miss Oliver?” Carol started as, a more urgent note in Haivel L.bt'-’- voice pierced hoi drcam-aruu-ur. Having gained her attention, the young colonial said, abruptly, I m clearing out of England—fed up. sick of it." Carol made an impulsive little movement and edged a trifle nearer to the big, still faintly bronzed young Colonial, and a happy smile lit up her face. Oh, I'm so glad to hear that, Mr. Lester. When are you going?” asked Carol with so great a show of interest that Harvey Lester’s heart began to beat a triflle higher with hope. “I’m going just as soon as I can gc a boat, and, if can help it, I'm not going alone,” he asked, earnestly, and with now quite unmistakable meaning for he picked up Carol’s hand which was hanging 10-osely by her side, and, pressing it to his Ups. kissed it yarn - ' passionately, with love-fevered Ups--Please don’t Mr. Lester,” said Carol quietly,, and quite fearlessly, foi ber brief stay in such a bouse > - Tacob Stone’s had taught her much, and she knew that there wa s no need to fear this particular “ gu . est l , , She touched his arm, raised plei - ing eyes to his. That touch, briev as it was, brought to him with overwhelming force the consciousness ol alluring young beauty, her nearness her femininity; his passion was like a mighty river in spate. He held out strong, love.hungry arms, and enfolded her within them a easily as if she had been a tiny child. Love loosed the usually backward tongue, and, within hearing ot the negro jazz band to which his vatc companions were still dancing, Harvey Lester made the proposal which’was to have such tragic results. "Dear little pal, I’ve loved you from the very first moment of meeting you ” he said, holding Carol in his arm s in such a way that she was compelled to look up into his fine, eager, young face. “I don’t know what circumstance compelled you to come to this beastly place, and’l don’t want to know, kiddie. All I know is that I’ve seen the loathing for it growing and growing in your eves, and I want to take you away from it all, and make you forget. It’s a wide world—we’ll have a look at together, Carol Will you marry me now —at once? I won t ask any questions—all I want is the chance to prove my love.” The man’s eyes were burning, glowing with passion; in his ever.tight.enin<>- arms Carol was as helples s as if she had been the little white moth to which he had likened her a few minutes earlier.

Neither hoard the garden gate open and softly close again. Neither saw a tall man's form stride up the path, and, guided by the low murmur of wor'd 3 in a masculine voice, make his way to the rockery, and there,, for one moment, as the moon shone full into Carol’s white face, revealing nor in Harvey Lester’s arms, stand as if transfixed.

Then with a cry which was more like the snarl of a wild animal than that of a human being, the newcomer drove hig fist full into the eager, in;, passioned face of the young lover, and the next moment Harvey Lester was lying still on the garden path an ugly wound in his loft temple rrom which the blood was flowing as freely as if a tiny tap had been turned on. To be continued.